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July 1st - 8th

Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without complaining and disputing."

Have you ever worked with someone who is difficult to deal with, or worse yet, worked for someone who was difficult to work for? Someone who leaves you scratching your head, biting on a pencil, or just exhausted and worn out? You are not alone my friend.

Recently while on a mission trip, I had the pleasure of going with a woman who was very difficult to work with. She had the talent to push all of my buttons. She was extremely negative--complaining about everyone and everything around her. I scrathced my head thinking, "Now wait a minute, we are out here to do God's work." Immediately I was reminded that every day we are supposed to be doing God's work, not just on foreign soil.

I started thinking of some of the people I worked with back in the States and realized that all around us we deal with people who are hard to get along with or circumstances that make it hard to get the job done.

Many years ago, I made the commitment not to complain to anyone about others (except my husband, of course), and I would grow up in Jesus and learn to take it to Him. Sounds simple doesn't it?

Incompetent, negative people make it hard to get the job done but the best decision we can make is not to complain about it. The circumstances will not go away or necessarily change but I know I can change. It can and will make work more bearable for me and I won't obsess over every situation. I am determined to work without complaining. So, I put that into practice on my mission trip. I loved on this woman and listened to all of her ideas and opinions--even when I felt some of them were absurd.

Personal and professional development is a powerful tool that you can use to achieve any goal. You can move yourself from where you are to where you want to be just by having the right attitude. I learned to watch people who have accomplished successful tasks, listen to those who have done it, and I made myself a student of people. If someone else can get the job done or achieve that goal, so can I. The lesson here is to quit complaining about life's circumstances and look around for someone to learn from. Make a situation better for yourself by learning how to do it a different way or maybe from a different angle.

Moments with this irritating woman became some of my favorite moments on this trip. Why? Because God's hand was in it. I felt Him giving me the love to show her and the patience to listen to her. He grew me to love--and I mean really love--this woman. I learned that she is a woman who knew the Word of God. She could pull a verse out of her head faster than anyone I worked with. She was an incredible resource while we were ministering to the women of this foreign country. How I wish my memorization of Scripture was half as good as hers was. I found myself learning more about God's Word and the power it had on people when it is quoted in different circumstances.

Lord, please forgive me for my complaining. Teach me to have a quiet spirit even in uncomfortable situations. Teach me to love like you do. Help me to be a learner of your Word. Amen

 

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